


Go Home

by demurely1



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-03-24
Packaged: 2017-12-06 09:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demurely1/pseuds/demurely1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This explains, develops and continues from the closing scenes of Episode 3. <br/>In the middle of the night Mark storms out of bed and the house after Beth asks him if he killed their son and meets up with Becca by the harbour.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Go Home

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://www.flickr.com/photos/44404210@N04/8587485004/)

_Go home_

She held his face between her palms and looked sadly into his glistening eyes, as he nodded in reply, sniffed and let his hands fall from her back. He smiled wryly back into her eyes.

Stretching up she pressed her lips to his one last time.

She ached for him now, as he walked away.  She could still taste his kiss, feel his soft lips on hers, remember how his body felt against her.

.....

When she’d got his text and slipped out through the back door to meet him, down by the harbour side, she’d resolved just to finish this whole affair, apologetically and politely.  Not that she had any misgivings about what had happened the previous Thursday night.  Mark had proved an athletic and attentive lover, more articulate than she’d expected and more open-minded and willing to follow her lead than some guys she’d been with.  She’d enjoyed herself and had looked forward to more.  She knew he had too.

But everything that had happened since had freaked her out: Danny’s death, the cocaine wrap, the police visit, the pleading text from Chloe – leading to her visit to the station to provide Mark’s alibi. There was no way their relationship was going to remain secret now, so it would have to end.  There was too much to lose otherwise.  Anyway, it had seemed inevitable, to her mind, that the upshot of Danny’s death would lead to a change in Mark’s priorities – most likely keeping him closer to home. She was ready for that.

His eyes had lit up when she’d appeared, yet his demeanour had been so listless and depressed.

She’d said her piece, calmly and considerately; and put off his counter arguments to go on with the affair, easily. His expression had become so forlorn, her resolve disappeared - she’d had to touch him, hug him. She reached her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his neck.

Her sigh had acted like a trigger. His arms wrapped around her, squeezing her to him. Then he just crumpled into her shoulder.  She heard a low sob and felt his weight against her.

“Keep thinkin’... it may have been punishment... for something... for what we did!” he gulped.

His guilt-racked voice tore at her heart, making her reach up to cradle his head and shush him. Soon her hands were in his hair and her lips were seeking out his.

Again his response was immediate: deep kissing, his body pressing into hers, his hands tight to her back, needing the physical proximity.

Eventually she pushed his face away gently, her thumbs resting lightly on his cheeks.

“Go home,” she whispered.

.....

He took the track along the harbour side, his head down, his hands thrust into his pockets.  She watched him, tears streaming down her cheeks now, until he turned left into the path uphill towards home.  Only then did Becca turn away and walk slowly back to the hotel.

Mark strode up the path with a determination that belied his feelings.  He hadn’t set out late in the night to speak to Becca with any specific objective.  He’d left Beth in bed in a fury of despair and disbelief, and just had to get out of the house.  He hadn’t been able to think of anyone else to talk to, besides Becca – he’d needed to thank her anyway.  

He wasn’t sure, now, what they’d agreed. He just knew it was over but that she’d always be there for him, should he need her.  He also knew he had to go home.  Somehow he felt strangely liberated.

The path came out onto Main Street again. Mark stopped momentarily and looked each way.  It was still and quiet here in the middle of the night - so different from daytime.  He looked back towards Traders hotel, only the sign was lit up now, along with one or two shop fronts.  No movement anywhere.  He struck off again, quickly, in the opposite direction, he needed to sort this out with Beth.

His street was as dark and still as when he’d left. He let himself in the front door as quietly as possible and shed his boots, jacket and hoodie in the hallway.  Creeping upstairs, he automatically turned and checked in Chloe’s room first. He could hear her low breathing and just make out her head on the pillow. Quietly he pulled her door to again.

Without thinking he turned next into Danny’s room. He was transfixed by the flashback to his previous night’s dream – Danny sobbing on the floor; himself distraught trying to comfort him. Gulping back his own tears, he realised he would forever check Danny’s room now – just in case.

He wiped his eyes on his shirt and padded along to his and Beth’s room, starting to unbuckle his jeans.

But the bed was empty - its covers thrown back.

Mark stood, staring in confusion at the bed, around the empty room, his fingers momentarily frozen.

He turned and retraced his steps, stopping to look in the bathroom, then back downstairs into the living room and the kitchen.  Nothing.

He returned to the front door and sat down, wearily, at the bottom of the stairs his head in his hands. He needed to think about this.  But it was all too much.  He was too tired and he felt so alone.

.....

Beth looked up at the house as she crossed the field on the footpath.  She’d walked this way thousands of times, but rarely after midnight like this. She presumed Mark was in now, though the house was totally dark.

She’d seen him emerge from the harbour path onto Main Street and head off towards home.  There was no way she was going to keep up with his long, loping stride; still less get ahead of him; so she’d followed  on at a distance instead.

She’d calmed down now, could see things more clearly.

When he’d left the house in such high dudgeon, she’d felt immediately guilty.  Guilty that she’d suspected him at all. She didn’t really believe he could have hurt Danny, it was all this stuff – going on in her head..... all compounded by Mark’s refusal to explain about Thursday night.

She’d decided to follow him, maybe catch up with him, talk to him properly at last, say sorry.  They needed to talk. Perhaps, being out of the house would help.

But by the time she’d caught up with him, in the town centre, it was too late. 

......

She slipped into the kitchen via the back door and moved silently through to the hall doorway and froze – a small figure was sobbing on the bottom step of the stairs!

Mark heard a sharp gasp and swung round, trying to focus through his tears and the gloom.

“Beth?” he croaked. “Is that you?”

Beth let out a deep sigh and let her hand move from her belly. “For a moment I thought you were...” she whispered, leaving her sentence unfinished as she moved towards him.

He reached for her hand, then looked up at her horrified. “Danny? You thought I was Danny?” He sank his face into her hand, groaning as though in pain. “Oh Beth, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed. “I keep buggering everything up.”

Beth sighed and looked down at the forlorn Mark before her, still hanging on to her right hand.  She stroked her left hand through his hair, prompting him to fling his arms around her hips and pull her to him.

They clung together silently for some seconds, he sobbing against her belly, while she stroked his head.

She realised this was the first outward demonstration of grief he’d shown. Until now, he’d been the strong one supporting her and Chloe and mum.  Her heart sank at his pain, but she knew she would have to speak.

“You were with Becca last Thursday, weren’t you?” she spoke quietly and calmly – much more calmly than she felt. “That’s why you wouldn’t tell me, or the police.”

He pulled his head back from her body and looked up at her in the darkness. “Yes,” he confessed.  “I’m so sorry,” he sobbed again.  “I didn’t want to give you any more hurt.  I love you too much to do that.” He squeezed her again.

“Yet, you went to see her tonight.”

Mark looked up at her, tears flooding his eyes again. “I know... ,“ he started, but didn’t have the strength to explain more. “It’s over, Beth, I won’t be seeing her again. It was a mistake, a big mistake,” he sighed, echoing Becca’s words. “And I’ve paid a big price...,” his face crumpled again, as he sobbed, “with you and... with Danny.”

This time Beth joined in with his tears, lurching over him, her arms around his head. 

Mark felt her weight on him and carefully pulled her hips down to sit on his thigh. He wrapped his arms around her again, stroking her back, nuzzling her hair and kissing her tears away.  She responded in kind, eventually focusing on his lips. They shared deep and sensuous kisses and then just clung together again.

Eventually he pulled away from her, stroked her face and kissed her softly on the lips again. “I missed you,” he whispered, half-smiling. “I’m glad you’ve come back.”

He stood up carefully, set her on her feet, helped slip off her raincoat and hung it on a peg. Then he took her hand and led her upstairs.  She moved to check on Chloe, but he shook his head and whispered that she was alright, he’d already done that.  He drew her instead along to their room, knowing she was as weary as himself.

They undressed in silence, pulling off jeans and clambering into bed. But this time, instead of each occupying opposite edges, they both took up the middle – Mark on his back with Beth lying partly on him, her head on his shoulder.

“When did we last sleep like this, Beth?” he mused, stroking his hand along her hip and thigh.

Beth half-smiled and wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry I hurt you before – you know, asking about...Danny.” She raised her head to look him in the eye. “I just wasn’t thinking straight.” She reached up to kiss his lips again, making him sigh and squeeze her, reassuringly.  She went on: “When I saw Becca kiss you, I thought I might die.  Then I realised that I hadn’t held you or kissed you like that for...ages.  You’re a good man, Mark. You’ve always been a good dad and good to me too. You deserve better than what I’ve been giving.

He cradled her head with his huge hand and lifted her mouth back up to his lips. “I love you Beth. Always have. Always will. We’ll get through this, I promise -for Danny’s sake.”

 


End file.
